To love a spy
by lizzieBdarcy
Summary: Though super soldier he may be, super smooth Steve Rogers is not. Between his own awkward attempts at flirting, a certain spy's hang-ups and the rest of the Avengers trying to "help", the course to true love never did run smooth. Not without a mission or two and Tony's schemes thrown in the mix anyway. I OWN NOTHING
1. Chapter 1

**Little Darcy's it's time for another Avengers fic featuring one of our favorite pairings (or at least one of my favorites) STEVETASHA WHOOOOOOO. Anyway, I was looking at things on Pinterest procrastinating at my writing for NANOWRIMO and then this happened. Slow build Stevetasha**

 **CHAPTER ONE: The game**

If Steve was being completely honest, (and he was, it was part of his duty as Captain America and a superhero to do so) He had no idea what the hell he was doing.

He'd been through war, alien invasions and the drunk Thor fiasco of 2013. This was something entirely different. The very ground beneath his feet was his enemy, traps were laid out so carefully that he was almost certain to maim himself if he didn't take the utmost care. Thor had already managed to crash through a wall. Would he make it out alive?

"AH! Watch it, Cap, the floor is Lava remember? You can't cheat!" Tony called out from his sprawled position on the couch. "I'm not! I was going to stand on the rug here, that's on top of the floor." Steve argued, snatching back his foot.

"Sorry Cap, I'm with Stark on this one. Rules clearly state items used as floor decorations meaning rugs, carpets, and welcome mats are the floor." Clint added, perching on top of the fridge. How he'd made it up there, Steve still wasn't entirely sure but he fully intended to make plenty of bird nesting jokes later on.

"Nobody asked you, Barton." Carefully he considered his next move. If he took the easy route, stepping onto the coffee table, over the three sofa cushions and used the two pizza boxes as footwear to get across, he could get to the elevator and make it to the next floor. Except then he'd end up stuck there unless he had a way to get down the hall. However, if he took the more difficult path using the ottoman, the bar stools and a few well placed if difficult jumps, he could get to his shield and use that as a means of transportation on the next floor.

"My apologies my friends, but prepare yourselves. I shall be the Victor on this day!" Thor leaped past, his hammer flying him to the elevator and thus presenting Steve with a third option. He made a mad grab for the God's leg and nearly bent himself in half to grab his shield at the same time, but was rewarded by nailing both.

"Not a chance thunder boy!" Tony scrambled up, trying to leap to the couch cushion and almost smashing his face into the coffee table for his troubles.

"WE SAID NO FLYING!" Clint pulled an arrow from seemingly out of nowhere (and confirming everyone's suspicions that he'd hidden them around Avengers Tower) and docked it before letting it fly. The elevator doors closed just in time, though a dent in the doors promised Clint hadn't lost his touch.

"You realize you've basically just given them permission to use all their own resources?" Steve asked, sliding off. Thor grinned widely and clapped him on the back.

"So much the better Captain! Then we will face one another on the battlefield as true brothers, using all skills at our disposal to show our might!" As much as he loved the guy, Steve wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. As soon as the elevator doors opened however Thor took off, lunging and leaping off the walls as opposed to the straight path and putting another hole in the corridor as he went.

Knowing it would never be that simple, Steve weighed his options as he made a wobbly journey through the foyer, thankful that Tony was a slob and had a bad habit of leaving his things everywhere, whether on his floor or someone else's.

"Attention now avengers tower. It seems we have a certified CHEATER in our midst." Tony's voice rang out through the intercom, the crackling sound of electricity signaling that he was flipping a few switches.

"Wherever you might be at this point in the game if you could turn your attention to the nearest screen? You'll be horrified to see our lovable god of thunder very clearly using his hammer as a means of transportation." Steve watched as the scene from the floor below unfolded once more, saw Thor laughing and the others crying out in shock. He groaned when he saw himself appear as well. Tony continued,

" And what's even more shocking, it seems the golden boy of America is aiding and abetting! Now, I dunno about you. But that seems pretty unfair to me. I think we oughta level the playing field. New rules: whoever reaches the top wins. That's it. No restrictions that we _all_ swore to uphold, no holding back, use whatever resources you have at your disposal. And may the odds be ever in your favor."

Tony signed off with a flourish, the final thing being seen was his suit flying to him piece by piece as the TV shut off. Steve thought he heard a thud and scrambled for the next room.

Unfortunately, it happened to be occupied.


	2. Chapter 2: Playtime Avengers style

**Chapter 2: Playtime Avengers style**

Natasha would privately admit this was the most fun she'd had in ages. Publicly, it was believed she had agreed to this if only to beat the others.

The morning had begun like any other. Training, breakfast, team meeting a la Steve. There wasn't always anything to discuss at these meetings, Steve mostly just liked to check in with everyone and make sure they were all on the same page. He and Clint kept an eye on Wanda especially, who was settling in well enough but still had her rough days without her brother. This meeting was supposed to be to discuss a possible mission, which Tony had interrupted very early on.

"Cap, maybe it's cause you're an old man and elderly people move slow, but I need some action. I'm young and impulsive; I'd like to get up and do something while you finish your tapioca cup." Tony teased, hands already stained with something that might have been ink but was probably oil. He'd been hauled out of his studio with a threat to phone Pepper hanging over his head. Natasha figured she would eventually get called anyway, as his knee was jiggling restlessly and a restless Tony usually meant trouble for the rest of them.

"Okay, first of all, that means you need to respect your elders, so shut it. Second, we need to go over this Tony; it can't always be fun and games." Steve fired back, turning back to the whiteboard. Wanda giggled at their antics, which caught Tony's attention.

"There, you see? This poor child…" He rose, moving to stand behind her and pat her head.

"Hey!" She swatted at his hand, but he remained unbothered.

"This poor, innocent child is wilting away. But she's just shown us a gift, laughter! Now I ask you, what's the point of being superheroes if we can't make the children laugh?" He kissed her head in a fatherly fashion, sauntering back to his seat while Wanda rolled her eyes but her cheeks were red, and she seemed pleased. Strike two. Steve was a sucker for anything that made Wanda happy because he always wanted everyone to be happy. If they weren't, he was going to find out and fix it, one way or another.

"Tony.."

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Stark might have a point man. We've been training for weeks now and no breaks. We could use a little fun. " Sam pitched in. Steve looked around the table as the others slowly nodded in agreement.

Steve had met her eyes then, weighing his decisions but looking to his unofficial second as another opinion.

"Romanoff?" He was asking what she thought, and she considered.

"What sort of fun did you have in mind Stark?" She asked instead of giving an immediate reply.

"Well I'd say drinks on me, but we've got gramps and baby witch here, so I guess it'll have to be something else." He huffed. Steve rolled his eyes at Tony's slam, and Wanda threw a pen at the billionaire.

"Don't throw your toys honey, that's not nice." Her response was to throw another pen.

"I wish to see more of these games you speak of man of iron. What do mortals play by way of recreation?" Thor asked. There it was, strike three. Thor was always up for anything he considered entertaining and dissuading him from it without alarms blaring was nigh impossible.

"There are several variations on the term "game" which apply to multiple situations. Board games, games of chance, games played with cards, athletic games, video games, childhood games-" Vision rattled off and may have continued if Wanda hadn't chucked a pen in his direction too. Natasha made a mental note to check on where she was getting all these pens from and possibly get some to throw herself.

"That used to be where it was at. You guys ever play hide and seek with flashlights?" Sam asked no one in particular. Natasha said nothing, while Clint snorted. "Amateur hour. Try a real game." He grinned, pretending to notch back an arrow. "Dodgeball. _That_ was a game." Natasha shook her head. "I'd rather not have to patch you all up when Thor gets ahold of the ball." Thor glared, momentarily confused. "I would dodge any object thrown; it is part of my prowess and worthy of a leader of Asgard." Steve sighed at them all.

"There's gotta be something simple - no projectiles involved-" He warned, " but something challenging enough that we can enjoy ourselves."

Tony snorted, fiddling with the pen Wanda had thrown.

"Please, don't insult me. I took out an alien army; I think I can handle the child's play. Now unless you're going to put me on an obstacle course blindfolded or have me walk over hot coals-"

"THE FLOOR IS LAVA!" Sam crowed suddenly, yanking his feet up. Startled, the others followed suit, immediately looking for a threat.

"Oh come on. Nobody's ever played that? Clint? Help me out here." Barton grinned back, propping his feet up on the conference table.

"The floor is lava. Genius."

And so it was decided.

 **The rules were explained, twice to Thor who was still half-convinced the ground would burn the soles of his feet at any minute and carefully to Wanda who had a similar game in her home country but knew it by a different name.**

"Okay, but how am I supposed to beat these two?' Sam nodded at Vision and Thor. Vision pulled his teeth back in mimicry of a smile; he was still studying about friendly human interactions.

"Ha! The Birdman cannot fly." Thor let out a hearty laugh while Sam glared back.

"None of us are gonna be able to pull it off if either of them gets to use their abilities."

Tony nodded quickly.

"You know,you're right. That's way outta line. So we all agree, no powers and I'll use my suit in case of-"

"Of what? You fall and bust your junk?" Rhodey taunted from the doorway. Tony scowled.

"James, that's hurtful, and I'll thank you to leave my tower." He waved his hand at Vision. "You can escort him out now buddy." Vision rose, and then sat at Steve's little head shake.

"Oh please. Now, I couldn't help but overhear. Y'all want something to do today. If you think you're too good for regular games if you make this interesting?"

That had all of their attention.

"No abilities, no electronics. Just what kids would have. Their smarts, their creativity. Whoever wins gets to be run the tower till the next meeting." He offered.

There were immediate protests, cheers and sporadic amounts of chaos; Rhodey didn't live in the tower and so would suffer no ill effects, Steve insisted on a set rule of guidelines for both the game and the winner, Tony wanted his robots and Clint was privately making under the table bets with Natasha. Eventually, though, it was agreed:

-The game would start on the first floor, the winner being whoever reached the top level first.

-Rhodey was the grandmaster. If someone cried foul, he'd make the call since he had no stakes in the game.

-The floor was Lava, which meant there was NO touching the floor or things used as a means of floor covering. No rugs, carpet, mats, nothing.

-NO abilities, learned, Godly or otherwise were allowed

-Vis was not allowed to float

-Thor was not allowed to call upon his father, Asgard or powers above. And yes, that included his hammer, much to his sulking disgruntlement.

-Tony was not allowed anything remotely electronic. (The creation of this rule delayed them by roughly fifteen minutes, as they had to enforce a pat down of his person after he dumped several items out of various pockets and reached back for more.)

-Natasha was not allowed to shoot anyone. (With anything. Makeshift weapon or otherwise.)

-Sam was not allowed to tell jokes, on penalty of immediate disqualification

-If at any point in time one of them found themselves on a stretch of ground, they had ten seconds to find something to get up on before they were out

-Full body touching (a.k.a. Falling and or in anyway landing with both butt and hands on the ground) would result in automatic disqualification.

That settled, the group had all started by the front doors, waited for Rhodey to blow the whistle and they were off. Natasha hadn't had any experience with things like these, but she was a quick study and within five minutes had made it to the staircase. While the others struggled to use things like potted plants, countertops and coat racks (with clint milking the ten-second rule for all it was worth) she made her way up the handrails, pulling herself up and over the bars with the balance of a gymnast before getting to the next floor. With no one around to question her means of progress, she took a minute to collect herself.

If each floor past the third belonged to an Avenger who lived in the tower, then that meant she'd have to remember the layout of each teammate's living space so as not to get caught unawares by anyone. She could hear the elevator coming up, which meant at least one of them had gotten through the first floor ahead of the others.

Again, she used her flexibility and natural grace to flip and climb through to the next floor, pleased when she hadn't run into anybody. She found a small grate, one that if she remembered correctly would lead directly through the next two floors, and by that time she would probably have managed to find another means of getting to the next level.

That _would_ have been the plan, had the rest of her team not royally screwed everything up.


	3. Chapter 3: Team building

**I posted this mostly because I wanted to have something out the first day of the new year and partially because I'm trying to write more and I'm excited to show you all where this goes! What better way to start 2019 than with some GOOD OLD FASHIONED FUN!**

 **Chapter 3: Team building**

Somewhere over the announcing system, she could hear Tony speaking; something must have changed. Natasha watched the video from an air duct, shook her head and pressed on. She wouldn't waste time going to the weapons cache, and anyway she had things hidden all over the tower in the event of an emergency. Deciding to get to one of these hidden stores, she pressed on until she found an opening and dropped down onto Wanda's level.

It seemed to be empty, which held up after she did a quick sweep of the floor. She could hear the shenanigans of the others, it took precious minutes (and an awkward bit of stretching) to get the floor plan of the entire building pulled up on one of the security pads near the front of the floor. There was a path of ducts she could get through if she was careful and avoided the others.

She took a moment to consider her plan, sitting on the coffee table just because she could. Thor would fly, but he would be easy to confuse. Wanda wanted to get in good with Steve because he'd become a surrogate big brother. So she probably wouldn't cheat, to make him proud and that made her slower.

Tony was smart but cocky. He could quickly be taken out. Vis didn't entirely understand the game anyway, so no issue there. That left Cap and Barton.

Roger's was an unknown. He was a boy scout through and through, but he had no issue toeing the line with technicalities. And he had a bad habit of throwing himself headfirst into things. If anybody got in her way, it was going to be him.

Clint would probably also be in the ducts somewhere; she'd need a way to get him to the ground so he'd be out of the running. Then she could handle Steve and have a clear path to winning.

Natasha went to the bathroom closet, pulled up a panel and grabbed her guns. The ammo was wrong; she'd have to get darts from her floor since Steve would probably be mad if she caused any real pain to the others. Irritating, because she'd stuck to the other rules when no one would have been the wiser.

Ready with the guns on her belt and the internal systems memorized, she was just about to use the kitchen island to pulls herself back up into the air ducts when Steve slid in penguin style on his shield. They blinked at one another.

And she completely lost it.

She broke up laughing, her sides aching when he tried to push himself up off his belly without touching the floor and only succeeded in sending himself spinning in circles. She laughed so hard she very nearly fell off the island.

"It's not- god I think I'm gonna be sick Romanoff give me a hand here!" Still snickering, she tossed him a roll of kitchen twine and hauled him up.

"Any sign of the others yet?" She asked.

"Thor's somewhere around here. But Tony called a free for all- don't shoot!" He immediately held up his hands, nodding at the gun. She shrugged. "Wrong ammo. Besides, I don't need this to put you down."

Steve eyed her, but slowly lowered his hands.

"There we go, Breathe Rogers."

There wasn't time to do that, unfortunately, as the air crackled with electricity. Thor was bringing down lightning bolts from the windows and cackling all the while. The sky rumbled ominously, punctuated by his maniacal laughter.

"I shall vanquish each of you, my friends! Thor Odinson, future ruler of Asgard shall be the Victor, I will rise-"

"Move." Natasha scrambled up, climbing up onto Steve's shoulders without so much as a "beg your pardon."

"Tasha what the-"

"He's coming, shut up and give me a lift."

He braced his arms, tossing her up into the duct lightly and then one slim hand reached down, yanking him up along with her. They slid the duct back into place just as Thor entered and Natasha immediately stilled, lying on his chest as the Thunder god moved below them.

Searching.

"Nat-"

"Stop talking."

Holding their breath, they listened for Thor below. He seemed to have forgotten the purpose of the game and was mostly just looking for his "brothers" with promises to defeat them with a mighty blow worthy of the finest warriors in Asgard. Luckily for them, Thor had a bad habit of announcing his intentions and continued to do so, loud enough that they could hold a whispered conversation.

"Listen, the others will be here soon-" Steve began.

"I'm not concerned." Natasha interrupted, counting under her breath. Just a few more steps...

"But-" She put a finger to his lips,pressing firmly when Thor paused below them. Only when he began to walk again did she move her hand.

"Stark set traps. They start on this level, my guess is he wanted to get us good and comfortable and then have everyone spring em as they tried to get to the top."

Steve blinked.

"When did he-"

"Besides the point. Anyway, I'm going for it. Don't get in my way." There. She'd warned Steve and even given him a hint when she didn't have to. Her duty was done.

"What if we tried a little team building instead?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, which he took as a sign to continue. "You and me. We create an alliance. I'll have your back, you have mine." She looked below them as Thor bellowed in frustration, he'd jumped back to avoid one of Tony's little cleaning droids and was now struggling to free himself from a giant web hanging from one of the walls. Steve stared up at the woman lying on him and she shrugged.

"Stark said all bets were off. I just used what was at my disposal." She didn't owe him any explanation, but Steve had a knack for making you want to stand a little taller and speak with a little more sincerity.

"Consider me at your disposal." Her lips turned up. "Is that a proposition captain?" His cheeks reddened and his hands went to her hips.

"Wha-"

Slowly, he rolled a hip until he could crawl through the duct comfortably without squashing her. Which is just as well really, since she'd been shocked into silence. She was further shocked to find she was… disappointed?

"Where are we headed to?" He asked as a way of answering. She briefly considered pushing him out of the duct but ultimately decided against it and crawled forward.

"This way."

 **As the pair made their way through the ventilation system, Sam was already on the floor above them, smirking to himself.** He'd made it through to the gym, which meant all of his gear was ready to go. Once he got ahold of his wings, he could just fly straight to the top of the building and claim the win.

Just because he wanted to win didn't mean he would break all the rules though. The others had abilities and gear to rely on, so it was only fair he do the same. _But_ until he got his wings, he would do this the old-fashioned way. Out of the elevator, he grabbed his jacket off the coat hook and put it beneath his feet, shuffling forward towards the gray modern couch, crawling atop it before bringing the jacket along with him.

He considered his next move and decided to simply stick with the jacket as a means of transportation. Tossing it as far as he thought he could reach, he jumped to zippered safety and once again slid himself to his destination. The wings were in a glass case opposite from the door, it didn't take long to reach and within seconds he was eagerly reaching inside for his prize.

The only indication he had that something was amiss was at the piercing cry of a falcon sounding somewhere over the intercom, right before the ceiling opened and a massive gilded cage came crashing down around him. He spun around, trying to run but it was too late.

He was locked away behind opulent gold bars.

"Hey, Sam? I've got something pressing, it's kinda been weighing on my mind… Why, exactly, does the caged bird sing?" Tony asked over the gym's speaker.

"Oh come on, lemme out! Tony what the hell?!" He slammed his shoulder up against the bars, to no avail.

"Sorry buddy, your wings just got clipped. Get it? Cause you're a bird, and the cage.. I know you're giving me a very rude gesture right now and that's not worthy of an Avenger. See you at the end of the game." Sam shot another "rude gesture" at the speaker.

"You're a bastard Stark."

"I know you mean that with love. Sit tight, I'll make sure to throw in a snack in case you get hungry."

Something hit him just them, a small fleck of something grain like. He bent down to examine it, frowning at the odd looking seed. And then he was being pelted with birdseed raining from above.

Tony's laughter echoed off the walls.

 **While Sam was cursing Tony with every name under the sun, Clint was two floors from the top.** He'd found out early on that Tony had booby-trapped the place, with everything from an odd serum that left you stuck to furniture to something simple as a doorknob falling off leaving you locked in. Careful to use his arrows as a means of testing spaces, he'd grabbed a pack somewhere as soon as he could and packed it with small tennis balls from the indoor court.

He'd already used several, rolling or bouncing them in suspicious spots to test for traps and had sprung several including a few webs, a thunderbolt-shaped ball pit, and more.

Wary of where the others might be, but having managed to avoid Thor and his hammer wherever he might be, Clint was feeling fairly confident that he'd be able to win this. He also had yet to see Nat, which was a problem nagging at the back of his mind as the spy no doubt had plans of her own.

Looking around, all seemed well enough. Arrows aimed at the ready, set to stun anyone who might try to get in his way, he pressed on. So far as he could tell, he was alone but something had the hair on his neck prickling and that was never a good sign.

"Hey out there. Anybody planning on popping out?" He looked around the movie room, still not sure what had him so on edge. A sudden clattering had him spin around, arm drawing back and he only was just able to stop himself as Wanda came in through the door, carrying a large bowl of popcorn.

"What the- Wanda! What are you doing?! I almost shot you!" She shifted, evidently not sure if she was in trouble or if he was just startled.

"I'm out, I slid on the whip cream streak. Popcorn?" She held out the bowl, waiting patiently while he took a handful and looked around.

"Thanks... Any idea what's lurking on this level? I know Tony's got more tricks up his sleeve." Wanda shook her head, munching her snack.

"I don't even know where the others are at this point. We're close to the top though?"

He nodded, still scanning the space and helping himself to a bit more of the salty treat.

"Two more levels and that's that. I'm waiting for Tony to get caught up in his own game, there's no way he remembers all his tricks."

She shrugged, snagging a cup out of one of the cupholders and taking a long sip.

"No, but others will probably find them."

"Yeah.. wait, there was a whip cream streak? What floor was that?"

He knew a second too late when she smiled sweetly and carefully put the bowl in his hands. He looked down and found that in reaching for the popcorn, he'd inadvertently taken a step forward and what he'd believed to be someone's lawn chair used to move around was actually the early makings of… no. No.

"Wanda."

"Yes?" Her smile grew wider.

"Am I standing in a damn bird's nest?"

"I believe that's what Tony intended you to think of it as." She brought her legs all the way up done, where as a few moments early she'd been just barely hovering off the floor. Just enough to fool him.

He sighed, sitting in the circle that was, in fact, a bottomless box, having stepped in the "lava" and surveyed his new prison. The sides were done up in the shades of older bark, a blanket made of a softer almost feather-like material was propped around the edges and there was even a football painted to look like an egg.

"Et tu Wanda?" He asked. She handed him a soda and the remote to the large screen.

"The Captain said this was a good team bonding exercise and I really want to win. I swear to you, you may be my second in command when I am winning." She promised. He grunted and began flipping through channels.

"Just make sure you win. If you're gonna trap me, I at least wanna see Tony's face when you beat him. Little sneak." She grinned and pulled out what looked like an America shaped skateboard.

"What-"

"I found it!" She sat on it, crossing her legs and grabbed ahold of the two spoons she'd been using to push herself around.

"Have fun."

She nodded and then paused to hand him a little tape deck, one that had a post-it note with his name on it.

"I don't know what's on it, in case it was private."

He smiled at her sincerity, even if she'd tripped him up it was kind of impressive.

"Alright, thanks. Go get em."

Wanda nodded again and rolled herself out, while Clint made a pillow of his feather blanket and stretched out. As long as he was stuck, he might as well make the most of it. Curiosity got the better of him though and he hit play on the tape deck. The scream of a hawk sounded through the room.

He was gonna punch Tony next time he saw him.


	4. Chapter 4: Fake out

**CHAPTER 4: FAKE OUT**

Tony was pretty proud of himself. He was one level away from winning, had managed to have a good laugh at everyone's expense and was about to be "king of the mountain essentially." What would be his first order of business? Maybe make everyone dress up in ridiculous costumes or dress them as his staff? That could be fun. He'd make cap be the butler and Wanda could be the scullery maid, maybe have Barton as the stable guy.

He grinned to himself. The victory would be very very sweet.

The only thing that concerned him was the fact that he hadn't seen Cap or Widow in awhile. He knew the others were out; he'd seen to it that they fell into traps and were taunted in equal measure. The vision had been confused by the rules and had managed to step onto the floor in the first five minutes, Sam was caged, Barton was nesting, and Thor was more than a little tied up.

Which was one of the reasons he was cautious as he flew through each floor. Romanoff had been toying with some of the little tricks he'd had in store, and now he wasn't entirely sure what was clear and what wasn't.

The final floor was one of the best. It was his party level and one that he used frequently. Large windows, amazing views and the like spoke to a wonderful experience for anybody looking to have a good time or reflect. He'd already decided to bypass it entirely and fly outside to reach the rooftop and last level when he stopped. He heard voices, and from the sounds of it, they believed themselves to be alone.

"Nat, do you think-"

"Nobody's anywhere near winning yet. I think we can spare a second or two. Unless you don't like kissing me?"

Tony was pretty sure the noise he made wasn't human, or maybe it was a little too close to fangirling for his comfort. As it was, he ducked behind the doorway and peeked out, trying to find a way to watch Captain America and Black Widow shamelessly flirt between the two of them.

"I would think you'd know exactly how I feel about kissing you by now Nat."

"Kinda hard to tell, you're so shy-"

He KNEW Steve would be like that. The guy probably hadn't been on an actual date since it was cool to take your girl to a sock hop. But of all the people for him to end up with. Damn. How long had this been going on? Had he won the pool? He knew something was up with those two...

"If you want reassurance, we could just throw the game." Steve suggested coyly.

"And maybe play some games of our own? Like what, twister?" Typical Romanoff . Cutting to the punchline...

"Strip poker could be fun." He retorted.

Tony didn't know whether to gag or barge in and demand details. There was no way he was gonna let them live this down. He could already see the jokes and the pranks on the pair.

"Oh, you think you can handle that do you?" Romanoff, flirting for real and not a mission? It was kind of terrifying.

"I'm ready to try." Rogers was bolder than he expected, so Tony assumed the relationship had been going on for awhile. They were comfortable with one another.

"Thank you for your service Captain."

Tony wished he could have recorded this, and there was no way he wasn't going to tell the others. And then he heard what must have been impossible. He couldn't help it, he charged out.

"AHA!"

The two Avengers were wrapped in each other's arms, lips locked in a heated kiss that scarcely allowed them time to breathe.

"Oh gross, stop swallowing his face please!" Stark was going to have that image burned into his corneas for AGES now.

"If you insist." Tasha turned, used one of her guns to send an electric charge through and short the suit he was currently wearing, knocking him back on his butt.

"Did you just- do you know how much money this costs?" He demanded.

"Right, so much that you're playing games in it? Nice try Stark. We knew you were there the whole time and you fell for it!" They high-fived, and he groaned, rolling like a turtle on it's back trying to sit up. He couldn't, which meant Romanoff had managed to short precisely the right spot that would leave him immobile.

"I don't believe this. You know what, I'm gonna show everyone that video I took of you two and-"

"Show it, and I'll make sure Pepper's single by death," Natasha replied evenly.

"Nat. That would take him out for too long. The team needs him." Steve chided, stepping over the man and using his jacket as a means of moving.

"Fine. Couldn't I just maim him a little?" Natasha suggested, using their suit-clad friend as a stepping stool. Tony tried to grab at her feet, but the suit was a dead weight pinning him down.

"It wouldn't be good for morale." Steve stood still, tucking the crook of his arms under her thighs as she climbed on piggyback style, both now completely ignoring the other man.

"You need to learn how to live a little Cap."

The two strolled out, leaving Tony grumbling and rolling on the floor.

"You two are gonna pay for this, I mean it!"

He was speaking to an empty room.

 **Finally, they had reached the end.** The two of them looked out over the city, listening to the hustle and bustle, feeling the sun on their faces and watching the tiny ant-like people move about their day below.

"So I guess we did it huh?" Steve asked, leaning on the railing. Natasha offered a small smile, leaning beside him.

"Yeah, looks like it."

"Thanks for not gunning me down." He muttered.

"Still thinking about it." She answered breezily.

"I figured." But he was smiling as he said it so she took that as a good sign.

She hid a smile and looked out at all the people.

"I don't get up here too much. It's kind of amazing, isn't it? All those people below, going about their day and moving to jobs and families and lovers and schools. They all know things like aliens exist and super-powered beings and villains. And they don't worry. They live their lives." He watched as a little girl hippity hopped down the sidewalk, her mother holding her hand., Her red curls caught the light, and for some reason, she was in rain boots. It made him smile.

"Didn't know you were such a sap, Rogers."

"You know, one of these days I'm going to catch you being in a moment and kill it the same way you just did." He nudged her with his hip and they continued to enjoy the view together.

"Speaking of.. that was some kiss back there Rogers. Sharon help you practice that?" She teased. He gave her a very un-Steve-like smirk. "Why? Jealous?" Natasha looked back at the city before them, lips whirling in a smirk of her own.

"Pity. How long were you in the ice for Rogers, is that how the cavemen kissed?"

"You know, I know what you're trying to do, but it won't work." He informed her.

"Oh?"

Steve shrugged.

"If you wanted another go, you only have to ask Romanoff."

She was quiet, and he felt a personal triumph that was very short-lived when she leaned against the wall and smiled, tugging him closer.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

She smiled a little more, pulling his head down to hers, letting him feel the warm puff of air from her mouth. "I'm asking. What are you going to do about it?" He hesitated, the nerves returned. Suddenly he pulled away, smiling sheepishly. "You got me. I call uncle." She shrugged lightly and started for the door.

"Another pity it looks like."

"What?"

"Could have been fun. You're missing out Steve. I was trained in quite a few different tactics you know."

"It- I'm not..." He hated how she always managed to leave him tongue-tied.

"And by the way?" She paused, looked over her shoulder at him. It was rather becoming.

"Uh-"

"I win."

He looked down when she nodded at his chest and had time to groan right before she gave him a shock with her stun gun that brought him to his knees. He thought he might have heard her laugh on the way back in.


	5. Chapter 5:Winnings

**CHAPTER 5: Winnings**

As the winner, Natasha was crowned queen of the tower until the next team meeting, which would not be for another month. And while Tony demanded they move it up "as clear destruction in the tower and one so-called ruler required a meeting of epic and IMMEDIATE proportions" Steve stayed firm. The meeting was on the roster for next month, and so Natasha would be tower queen until next month.

For his treachery and attempts to dethrone her, the spy' s first order of business was to code the labs so that Tony had to come to her for a password to get back in. And apparently, she now could change it at will so that the password might change every day; it might change as soon as he went to grab a snack. There was no real rhyme or reason to it, which resulted in a very grumpy and paranoid Tony and a healthy source of amusement for the rest of them.

Another thing that changed was the fact that Nat was now a little more bold about going onto the other team members floors. Undoubtedly, she had done it before, as she wasn't much for personal boundaries, but now she came while the others could see her or were there.

On top of these, there was the occasional insistence that someone bring her a snack (Sam), fetch her guns to clean (Clint when he was around) or steal someone's sweater for her (Wanda, usually taking one of the guy's jackets or hoodies). She was enjoying her winnings, and Steve couldn't blame her, not really.

The only thing that was throwing him for a loop was her behavior towards himself. Since the game, she'd seemed to take a particular interest in the goings on of his day to day life. More than once he'd gone into his ensuite for a shower and found her there, already helping herself to some of his products or he'd come out and see her on the bed, reading one of his books calmly as though she owned the place.

Probably the worst was when he'd dropped his towel in front of the Russian.

One minute, he'd been humming along to the radio, towel around his waist and running a comb through his hair. The next, he'd come out and reached for his clothes, only to hear a smug voice from behind ask "if he'd dance for her too or if this was strictly a stripping show." The towel almost fell, he was left sputtering, and she put a few singles on his dresser before snagging his hoodie and wrapping herself up in it on her way out.

"I've seen her flirting up close and personal. It's something. But Nat isn't the dating type, right? And if she is, I'm the last guy she'd notice. I think she worries about... Tainting me? I liked Sharon. But I'm not... Things move fast. Too fast, or maybe not fast enough- I don't know what I'm saying. The world ain't like it used to be Buck." He looked up at the memorial for his friend, the solemn photo of him looking just off camera.

Had Bucky Barnes been here, he probably would have clapped him on the back and told Steve something like "Course she's not interested in you, not when I'm here right?" Or maybe he would have told him to go for it. Buck always did have a thing about redheads.

"Miss you, Buck. We're gonna have a lot to catch up on when I find you. Hang in there okay?"

"Are you enjoying the sites or are they replacing the mannequin in the exhibit with you to save on wax and polish?" Natasha asked from behind him. He turned, raising an eyebrow while she snickered. The former spy was casually dressed in black jeans and a hoodie, one of Barton's if he wasn't mistaken.

"There would still be some waxing, but you're probably right about the polish." He replied, leaving the memorial behind and heading for the next exhibit. Natasha trailed behind.

"Better forget the waxing too, I've seen you shirtless Rogers." She leered back.

Still, on edge from "talking" with Bucky, he didn't bother to take the bait. Instead, he turned to meet her gaze. Her own eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, peering up at him.

"Why're you here Romanoff?" He asked instead.

"We have a mission." She murmured, still studying her teammate.

"You should have opened with that. If it's important, we can't afford to waste time." He strode past her, intent on making his way to the exit. In the time they'd trained together, he'd been made aware of just how strong she was. Even so, when she reached out and snagged his arm, there was still some surprise at being yanked back to her side.

"Something's wrong. What's wrong with you?" She demanded. He sighed, everything in his posture screaming weariness.

"It's nothing. I shouldn't have been so abrupt, that was rude of me. I apologize" Was Steve's automatic response. She tsked, grip softening ever so slightly.

"I'm a big girl Roger's. A little bark doesn't phase me. Now I'll ask again. What's wrong?" His lips turned up.

"I was.. thinking." He offered. Her reply was a tilt of the head, waiting for him to continue,

"About Bucky. The old days - no jokes." He warned, trying to smile. She smirked in return. "I was just- you know sometimes it still amazes me. How people just took up on the bandwagon. The exhibit here..." He looked behind him, at the pictures and the holograms and the wax figures. "Buck would get such a kick out of this. People are bringing their kids and their dates and paying money to see this. See us." He turned back to Natasha, but his eyes were unseeing, lost in the past.

"He'd say something like this was the most use we'd been since we enlisted, or he'd flirt with one of the girls here and play it up. You know, I was the leader of the group, Captain America learned all of his moves from me." He chuckled, then broke off when he realized Natasha would only know Bucky through these impressions. And even then, they weren't particularly useful; nobody could nail down his friend's rakish charm and fierce loyalty.

"Sounds like my kinda guy." She answered. He shrugged.

"Bucky was everybody's kinda guy. He always knew what to say or how to spin it." And he missed him more than anyone could know. Having someone from the same time, who thought the way you did and remembered how it was. He hadn't realized before the ice how important that was. But Natasha noted him somber mood, and he tried to shake it off before she commented on it.

"So that's where you got your charm from, hmm? And to think, all this time I thought that was just you. I knew it wasn't clicking." He shot her a hard look, and there was that little smirk again, the one that had a bad habit of making something in his stomach flutter around.

"You said we have a mission?" He would not get into a war of words with Romanoff; he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

"Mmmhm. They're going to brief us at the meeting that's been called. Sorry to interrupt your trip down memory lane but I've been sent to collect you." He nodded, and they started towards the door.

"Can I ask you something?" She muttered as they reached the exit.

"Sure." She glanced at him before putting on a pair of shade.

"That old suit you used to wear, how skin tight are we talking?" He rolled his eyes, heading for their waiting vehicle and she grinned, trailing behind.

"As in tights? Did the great Steve Rogers wear TIGHTS?" She continued, feigning hurt when he didn't open the door for her as was his custom in the presence of a lady.

"Romanoff I have no problem telling the driver to leave you." He warned, climbing in.

"Please, you don't have clearance for that." She retorted, getting in beside him. And while that may have been snark, knowing Nat, it was probably right.

But they drove in snickering peace all the way back.

 **"Can we make this quick? Some of us have lives, better things to do, a lunch getting cold-" Tony huffed, feet propped up on the table and attention focused on some kind of motor in his hand, screwing in a piece.** Steve pushed his feet off the surface and wiped it clean, ignoring the dirty look his friend shot him.

"I didn't have anything going on." Clint reminded him. Tony scowled.

"You know, some of us have to work-" He began, but Natasha cut in before he could start his mini-rant.

"You should have, I thought I put you on the roster for a training session today against some of the tony bots?" She pointed out. Tony smiled sweetly, while Clint shifted. Natasha's reply was to stare them both down.

"Wilson skipped too." He finally said.

"Dude!" Sam chucked a piece of paper at him while he shrugged helplessly.

"I'm not going down for that alone." He explained. Sam glared.

"And you won't. You're both training this afternoon, and I expect you to scrub down all the equipment after. Oil it too, we need to make certain it's in top condition so that it's ready for use." Natasha ordered.

"You can't- Steve, man. Come on. We got things to do; I was going to-"

"Nat that's going too far-"

Their protests fell on deaf ears, as Steve only shook his head before taking his seat.

"You broke Natasha's rule; she settles on the punishment. Don't look at me." He turned to greet Wanda while the two men cursed and grumbled at one another, settling back into their chairs.

"You're a snitch Barton," Sam mumbled. Clint elbowed him, hard.

"I collect information for a living Sam what did you expect?" Falcon elbowed him back, just as hard and twice as cross.

"For you to know how to keep your mouth shut super spy!" Before they could get too far into it, Steve rapped a knuckle on the table, nodding at the screen that was coming online. With another good glower between the two of them, the group settled down.

"Technically, it would make sense for Agent Barton to report behaviors such as these to Agent Romanoff, as he customarily communicates to a higher up-" Vision started to whisper before Wanda shushed him. Steve smiled his thanks at her and nodded at Tony to start up the live feed.

"If you all are done with your arguing, let's begin."


	6. Chapter 6: In the role of

**CHAPTER 6: In the role of...**

"The dossiers in front of you will go into more detail concerning what we're about to discuss. But for now, I intend to give you an overview of the situation." Maria Hill explained as each team member began to page through their manilla folders.

"For the last two years, we've been attempting to infiltrate and take down a group of child traffickers. This particular "company" specializes in adoptions through illegal means, usually offering stolen and kidnapped children as their stock. They often have underground auctions under the guise of a gala or dinner, with dancing and the like. It's an evening out for those invited, with a period of "viewing time" and then there's bidding ." Maria's countenance was dark, and as Steve looked around at the team, their expressions were the same.

"Some club for the elite?" Tony asked, studying one of the files in the folder. It looked like a pamphlet, and after a bit more reading he realized that's exactly what it was. Each page had a photo of a child, corresponding with a gender, approximate age, eye color, and hair color. Below it was an identification number.

"The sort of people who frequent these parties have silver spoons in their mouth," Maria confirmed grimly. "Many are wealthy couples, looking to adopt but others we think have more nefarious purposes in mind." Wanda shuddered, and Clint growled. The man had children of his own. Steve would need to check in and make sure this mission wouldn't be too much for him.

"Why's it taken so long then? If you know this is what they're doing, why hasn't anybody gone in and done something before this?!" Clint snarled. Maria was unbothered though.

"We've always been just behind them. Catching wind of a party and securing an invitation just in time for the location to change last minute and we're left hanging. We've put agents in place, and they were just as quickly found out. Only one made it back out of four, the other three were murdered and their intel went with them." She met the eyes of each Avenger, before resting on Steve.

"Captain, we have things ready this time. We've secured an invitation and given the fake identities that will be attending. We've assigned agents to the case, who will be in place and have been briefed. We've even managed to get two of our people into the security room. Everything is placed and ready to go. This party is our best shot at ending the trafficking. We won't have a chance like this again." She shook her head and then looked at them again.

"That's why we need your help. This plan cannot fail, those children need the Avengers."

He glanced at Nat who nodded back at him. Tony was already drumming his fingers in thought, then shrugged decisively.

"Course we'll do it. I'll tell Pepp to put on something pretty and-" He began.

"Not so fast Stark. You're going behind the scenes for this one." She warned. He blinked, recoiling in shock.

"Yeah, um what? Wanna run that by me again?" He demanded. Maria rolled her eyes.

"You're going to be in the shadows. Your face is too known for something like this."

"Yeah, exactly. Genius playboy billionaire Trashman-" He began to rattle off his resume while Maria tried to talk over him and the others groaned.

"We know that Tony. I think that's the problem, isn't it Agent Hill? Everyone knows Stark, and they know he's Iron man. " Steve explained, looking to the agent for confirmation. She nodded, pleased SOMEONE understood.

"That's right. In the dossiers, you'll also see your role and details, backstories and papers as needed. If you all would turn to the fifth page, it goes more in depth." She instructed. The team did as told, each studying over the part they would play.

"Wanda, you and Sam will be on the waiter's staff. You'll be gathering intel as you go, we're going to be providing you with recording devices and camera's to collect evidence. We've posted as a temp agency lending assistance to the catering for the party. You'll recieve your uniforms upon arrival, check in once you're dressed." She continued, turning the pages of her file.

"We are going undercover then?" Wanda asked.

"Perhaps I ought to go as well, to assist as needed-" Vision piped up, but Marie was quick to interrupt. "No, Vision you've got your mission. We need your abilities to find the holding cells of the children. The ones being auctioned off tonight are already being cleaned and dressed for the occasion, but the others are somewhere on the grounds, to be moved to another location after the party. Intel says this is done in case a couple is dissatisfied and looking for something specific." He glanced at Wanda but nodded pleasantly.

"I will do my utmost to be a valuable member of the team." She smiled back, hiding a smirk as Tony scoffed at his page.

"No. No way. What is this Hill? Trash man and Keeper? What does that even mean?" As dangerous as the matter was, even Steve had to fight back amusement at his outrage.

"Stark. Trashman usually means you're taking out the trash." He offered.

"I'm a superhero Rogers, that means I throw out HUMAN trash. And I look cool while I do it. And what am I a keeper of exactly?!" He snapped at Marie who was staring back coolly.

"Bees?" Wanda suggested helpfully. He glared at her and Clint patted her shoulder.

"Recycling?" Sam muttered, leaving he and Clint in peals of laughter and Tony scowling fiercely.

"The keeper is the worker in charge of feeding the children. That's why we put you in place there. You can give our teams an opening to start removing them once we know exactly where they're being kept. It's actually rather important." She told him. As expected, he perked up, and his chest puffed out a bit while he took a second look at his file.

"Sounds invaluable. Enjoy serving finger sandwiches." He told Sam, whose answer was to roll his eyes.

"Now. Clint, you're going to be on our surveillance team. We want to take out their security as quickly and quietly as possible. You'll also be the driver to the couple so that you can make certain we can get inside." She turned the next page and considered. That just left...

"Agent Hill? Where will Agent Romanoff and I be posted?" Steve asked. She smiled warmly at the Captain and he tried to ignore the sudden warning bells going off in his head.

"Looks like we're posing as the creepy couple sweetie pie." Natasha piped up; eyebrow raised as she glanced between him and the file. He turned to his page, where a doctored photo of him in glasses and a day suit was accompanied by another picture, one of he and Natasha smiling together, his arm around her waist and her hand on his chest.

"Wait, we're supposed to be-" His mouth dropped, and the others quickly flipped to the page explaining everyone's assignments. The room went completely quiet, while Maria smiled at them all.

"That's right. You and Agent Romanoff will be posing as our couple interested in adoption. And might I be the first to offer congratulations to the happy couple."

 **Natasha was debating ways to murder Maria Hill, and had so far considered 15 viable options.**

The downside was that Maria would be missed, almost immediately. And they were friends, of sorts, so she could undoubtedly lure the woman in, but she wasn't looking forward to dealing with the fallout from such action, so perhaps she could maim her?

Irritable and catching her breath for a moment, she back flipped neatly away from one of the Tony bots she was currently sparring with. The plan would be implemented at the end of the week, but she and Steve would go ahead of the others. Maria said they needed to start putting in appearances and so that meant going down early to "house hunt" as well as running in the same circles as a few of the other guests. It was simple recon and would lend credence to their story, Hill had explained.

Right. You are staying with Steve Rogers, for an entire week. In a house, just the two of them.

Pretending to be MARRIED.

This time she was ready for the bot, and one swift kick later it's head was somewhere on the floor behind her.

She'd done recon before, and she could certainly do it again. She'd played thousands of roles and some with Steve at her side even. This was nothing new, and she was completely fine with pretending to be in love with Captain America. Why not? Half the women in the country were in love with him. She'd just take a page from their books. She'd even kissed him before, so that wouldn't be new either. It was a role to play, a means to an end — no big deal.

Another kick. Another dead tony bot. She pretended it was the real Stark, who'd been teasing them mercilessly since their meeting two hours ago. She'd eventually locked him out of the gym, his lab and every bathroom in the tower (he was still trying to figure that one out). Steve hadn't objected to the abuse of her powers as queen of the tower, but then he hadn't said much since their mission had been handed out. As soon as it was done he disappeared somewhere in the building.

He was upset. Had to be. He took this sort of thing pretty seriously, and she wasn't a fool, she knew he was still mending a broken heart from Peg-

"Hey."

Of course. Perfect hair, perfect smile and perfect timing. Captain America would let you expect no less.


	7. Chapter 7: Mr and Mrs

**CHAPTER 7: Mr. and Mrs.**

The object of her mind's musings was in the doorway to the gym, eyes on her face and then the scattered body parts of a handful of bots. Perhaps she'd destroyed a few more than intended. In one hand was a gray bottle, Steve had a blue folder tucked beneath his opposite armpit.

"Hey. I've still got some time to clock in on the mat. You wanna go a round or two?" She offered him a pair of gloves, and he shook his head.

"I promised Wanda I would spar with her a bit later. And I still have some packing to do for the mission." She shrugged and accepted the water bottle he offered. Mmm. Cool and a hint of strawberry. The fruit made her stop in surprise.

"You put berries in my water." She stated, eyeing both he and the bottle in suspicion.

"You don't drink as much as you should when it's plain." He shrugged. Part of her was touched. Trust Rogers to notice the little things and adjust accordingly. She preferred flavored waters and usually brought an infuser to the gym and on runs. It was a small detail that mattered to no one but herself.

And Steve.

"Thanks… did you need something?" Perhaps that was why he'd brought the water, a bribe of sorts?

"I figured we should talk about the mission, maybe get a sort of ground plan together?" He asked, looking around and nudging a bot hand out of the way before taking a seat. She did the same, taking another swig of water and then stretching her legs out in front of her, bending to begin a cool down.

"Probably smart. What'd you have in mind?" Reaching for her toes, she groaned as something in her back clicked, releasing tension she didn't know she'd been holding.

"The way I see it, you've got way more experience in undercover spy work. I'm happy to listen to your expertise." He smiled back, twisting and stretching a bit himself.

"If that's the case, I can take the lead, but I can't guarantee you'll like it," Natasha warned. He smiled and twisted, cracking his back and sighing comfortably.

"Lay it on me." She raised an eyebrow, and he continued to wait, smiling kindly. Testing the waters, she took another sip before she spoke.

"I think we need to start getting in the right frame of mind and our personas. If we're going undercover, then we need to be prepared for it." He nodded, setting aside the folder to do crunches while she talked.

"We need to study up on our back stories and get them straight. If we're playing a couple, what kind of couple are we? Are we newlyweds, are we adopting this kid as a last chance to save our marriage, what? That body language, that story will make a difference as to whether or not this operation is successful. If these lowlifes are any good at what they do, then this is going to matter." Steve stopped his warm up to open up the folder he'd brought along, showing her the photos and information Maria had given them.

"According to this, we've been married for five years and trying for a child for three. Tried everything but so far nothing has taken. Now we're looking to adopt. " Natasha nodded, scooting closer to look over his shoulder.

"You're in business. You came into some money from your family. I'm a happy homemaker. We're looking for an heir to carry on the family name or at least get the ball rolling, someone nobody will question, and possible tax write off?" She scanned the information provided.

"Did Maria say if there were any meetups we needed to attend before the party? Anyone we should be trying to get in good with?" Steve asked, looking through one of the multiple reports. Natasha nodded at the one in her hand.

"There's a luncheon. And the house they've put us in is supposed to be next to one of the big wigs at the party. The neighbors next door, a Mark and Joanna Sutherton are some of the original organizers. They've had their hand in things since the very beginning. We're supposed to try and connect with them somehow and see if we can keep them busy at the party." She passed the file over and looked at the next, scanning its contents.

"What's that one?" He studied the pictures of Mark and Joanna, a power couple if he'd ever seen one. Mark was as dark as she was fair, with broad shoulders and hair slicked back. Beside him, Joanna smiled prettily with eyes as blue as his own and hair sun white blonde. Even the simply cut clothes they wore spoke of the money they had.

"It's a character profile for each of us. According to this, you're a very possessive man. Charming, but possessive of what's yours. You run your meetings with an iron fist. And I've got no problem with that need back at home." She nuzzled him, lips brushing the corner of his mouth and rolling her eyes when he started.

"Listen, Cap, if we've been married five years a little nibble isn't going to make you jump. Which is why we need to get into the headspace of our covers and get this figured out." She chided sternly. Steve nodded, trying to focus on cooling his reddened cheeks.

"As I said, I'll follow your lead. We need to be ready for the operation on Friday night. What do you suggest?" Natasha read a little more, smiling coyly.

"We need to get in the proper headspace. You're my husband, I'm your wife, and we're in a call for the cheque, skip your dessert sneak into the coat room type love. So we pack up, go to the setup and make like we see little hearts every time we look at each other." She decided. He shifted, looking down at the folder and then back up at his teammate.

"Right. About that- I want to... listen." He was gearing up for a grade A Cap speech, and she wasn't entirely sure how to stop it. If things kept going at this rate, they'd be sniffed out by this group as soon as they walked into the place.

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, bearing as stern as a reaction as he could muster. " I respect you as a teammate and as a woman. And I also respect you as my friend, so I want to be certain that I don't take any liberties or make you feel uncom-"

His next words were cut off abruptly by her pulling him in and kissing him deeply. With her fists in his shirt and mouth hot against his, she let her body press against his chest. Briefly, he tensed in surprise and then Steve melted against her, exploring her lips.

One moment, they were upright and making out and the next she had tipped back and brought Steve with her, one leg hooked around his waist and kissed hungrily. It was only when her fingers began to slip underneath his t-shirt that he yanked back, cheeks flushed and breathing heavy.

"We- you just- Romanoff what the hell?!"

Her reply was to sit up cooly and smooth her hair, taking a brief sip of water as though they hadn't just been mauling one another.

"Headspace Cap. It's all about the headspace. If we're in front of these guys, if anyone is keeping watch - and they better be, if they're any good- then we need to be in character at all times. When we reach out and make contact, when we're out and about and when we're talking to our marks." She took another sip, squashing down any- feelings, about the situation until she could examine them at another time and waited patiently for him to recover.

"A wife kisses her husband sometimes. It happens." She finished. His cheeks were cooling, and he looked as though he were going to say something, but thought better of it and held his hand out. She passed over the water bottle, and he took a long swig before setting the bottle aside.

"Does a husband ever kiss his wife?" He finally asked. She gave him a sly smile in return.

"I think they've been known to, now and again." She muttered.

"Do we have pet names?" He stole another drink from her water bottle, holding it teasingly out of reach and then passing it over when she gave him a hard look. She rolled her eyes at his satisfied smile.

"It sounds like something a lovey-dovey couple would do pumpkin." He glared, and Natasha laughed.

"Love Muffin? Sugarplum? Big man?" She continued to suggest, ducking a bot hand he threw at her.

"Definitely none of those. Why do we have to get fancy, can't we just stick with sweetheart and Honey? Those names are nice and kinda generic. Nothing too memorable, that's the point of being undercover right? We don't want to be memorable?" He looked at the doctored photo of them still safely tucked into the folder and showed it to her.

"This guy looks like he calls his wife sweetheart." He decided.

"I guess you could be a honey." She shrugged.

"Alright. So we'll go to the house they've arranged for us. And try to make contact with the couple as we move in. The file says we're there on vacation. If they're looking for potential buyers of the children they've taken, a workaholic type won't work. They'll need to see we're involved enough with each other to be worthy of spending time with at the party. I think Maria has a list of things we can do as recon, that'll keep us in the area and able to watch the others. Maybe we even invite them for dinner one night." It was quite a lot to take in, and he was still reading the files like a man possessed.

But if anybody could pull this off, the Avengers could.

Gently, she tugged away the report, forcing him to look at her.

"You sure you're ready to be married to me Rogers?"

"I don't know if anybody would be ready to be married to you, Romanoff." She shoved him over when he broke up laughing.

"Just for that you're sleeping on the couch tonight." He raised a brow, studying the file again.

"I don't think you can do that Nat, I have my own floor." She tsked, smoothing his hair.

"Steve. Queen of the tower rules state I get to make the rules. You're on the couch." She patted his shoulder consolingly, smirking when he sagged back. "And from what I hear, wives make the rules. Happy wife, happy life. So you're gonna have to get used to me running things."

She gathered things and headed for the showers, taking her water bottle with her. But she was right. Steve would have to get used to her running things.

He just hoped he survived it.


End file.
